Vengeance
by robertwnielsen
Summary: Hawke's actions during "Survival" have not gone unnoticed...and won't go unpunished. Can he protect his family from this new threat?
1. Chapter 1

_Vengeance, Chap. 1_

_Disclaimer—_Don't own anything, except a couple of characters

**A/N: **This story will serve as a sequel to _Survival,_ and will make mention of some of the things that happened in that story, as well as _To Save a Hawke._ Events in _Vengeance _will take place approximately eight months after the events of _Survival. _Thanks as always to **Mogo Girl, OldSFFan, av981638, Riabhach, and geauxtigersgirl **for your reviews—robertwnielsen

_Summary—_Hawke's actions during "Survival" have not gone unnoticed...and won't go unpunished. Can he protect his family from this new threat?

"Cait, you amaze me," Stringfellow Hawke told his wife. _She miscarried the baby last year, not to mention what happened with Ashburne, and she's sitting there with our daughter like she doesn't have a care in the world._

"Really?" Caitlin asked him, surprised. "In what way, String?"

"Look at everything you've been through recently, Cait," Hawke said hesitantly, knowing what he was about to bring up. "Kidnapped by your old high school stalker and damned near raped, then losing the baby last year. And yet both times you bounced right back, like nothing happened. Amazing," Hawke repeated as he watched Caitlin breastfeed their daughter, Saoirse Marie Hawke.

"Well, String," Caitlin said as she looked up at her husband, "think back to when my plane got hijacked when I was flyin' to Texas for Erin's wedding. Remember? I was back at work the next day, like nothin' happened," she said, and Hawke nodded, remembering how quick Caitlin had recovered from that ordeal.

"Not to mention every other time I've danged near been raped or killed," Cait continued, smiling at her husband. "And that includes that time with Bogan—I didn't dwell on what his boys tried to do to me then, either. And, they got a lot closer than Ashburne did, I don't mind tellin' ya—especially Blackmon, remember I told you about him?" Hawke nodded—he did remember how Cait had described one of her fellow THP officers getting a lot closer to raping her than Ashburne had. She continued, "But the next day, I was back at work—in fact, I was one of the ones who helped put Blackmon in jail—he'd been going after other women who worked with the Patrol, and when he attacked me that time, we had all the evidence we needed to put him away. I'm surprised you haven't figured that out about me yet, String. I just choose _not to dwell_ on things like that—life's too short to go runnin' around scared, or sad, or whatever other feeling you might be thinking of. Especially," she said, her eyes turning decidedly mischievous, "when there are a lot more pleasurable things I could be thinkin'.Or _doing, _if y'know what I mean." She quickly stood up and detached Saoirse from her breast, then got her ready for a nap.

Once Saoirse had closed her blue eyes, Caitlin turned to Hawke and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Like I said, String, there's just so many more—_pleasurable _things I could spend my time thinkin' about, y'know?" The way she slanted one eyebrow, along with the impish grin that crossed her face, left little doubt in Hawke's mind what Caitlin was thinking about.

"I think I know exactly what you mean, Cait," String said with a peculiar twist to his boyish grin as he scooped his wife up in his arms.

"Now," Caitlin said as she curled up in Hawke's arms later, "willya stop worryin' so much?"

"I'll try, Cait," Hawke promised her. "But it's not gonna be easy, because I love you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know," Cait replied, "and I love you too, String. I worry about you too, y'know. How many times have I thought I lost you, even before we got together?" Hawke nodded, knowing he'd nearly died several times, especially during the encounter with John Bradford Horn a couple of years ago, and the dogfight with Harlan Jenkins, who was flying an updated version of Airwolf. _I'm just damned lucky that one __**didn't **__kill me,_ Hawke said to myself, remembering how it had felt when the laser aboard "Redwolf," as the upgraded chopper was informally known, had struck Airwolf's hull.

"I know, Cait," Hawke said as he pulled her closer to his body. Just then, they heard Saoirse Marie crying. "Darn it," Caitlin said as she pulled away from Hawke and slid out of bed. "Be right back," she whispered, smiling at him. Hawke nodded and said, "I'll be waiting," as Caitlin went to check on their daughter. Hawke smiled as he watched Caitlin with Saoirse Marie, feeling a contentment he hadn't felt in a long time.

**Meanwhile...**

A man sat in the shadows of his office, smoking an expensive cigar as he read the newspaper accounts of how Stringfellow Hawke had killed Kenneth Langhorn after the attempted robbery at Santini Air, as well as the attempt on Caitlin Hawke's life. Suddenly, the man slammed one fist against the mahogany desk. "Bunglers!" he shouted, almost dropping the cigar.

"Mark my words, Stringfellow Hawke," the man hissed at the photograph, "I'll see you. I'll see you very soon. And, when I'm finished, you and your wife will _pay _for what you did to me!" He stubbed his cigar out on top of the newspaper photo of Hawke's face, watching as the photo disappeared in the heat. "I promise you—you _both are going to pay!_"

_Who is this mystery man, and what vendetta does he have against String? Answers will be coming in Chap. 2! _


	2. Chapter 2

_Vengeance, Chap. 2_

_Disclaimer—_Don't own 'em, as usual.

**Later, at Santini Air**

"Hey, Dom!" Hawke called out to his surrogate father, Dominic Santini.

"_Shh!_" Dom shushed him and pointed to the corner of the office. "Cait's tryin' to put my grand-baby down for another nap! You wanna wake her up, for Pete's sake?"

"Sorry, Dom," Hawke whispered, smiling at his wife and daughter, "I was just wonderin' what we had on the schedule today."

"Nothing," Dom grumbled, upset at the lack of business. "Just like we've had, or _haven't had, _for the past three days. Why'd you guys even come out here, anyway?"

"We thought you'd like to spend a little time with Saoirse," Hawke said with a smile directed at the older man. "I mean, we can go home if you really want us to, but-"

"Oh, no, no!" Dom said hastily. "Any time I get to see that little angel is good, you know that."

"That's what I figured you'd say, Dom," Hawke said with a smile as the two moved back into the office.

"By the way, String," Dom said a few minutes later, "is Cait okay?"

"Yeah," String replied, shaking his head. "She's okay. She had a few troubling nights the first days after she lost the baby last year, but then she decided to, as she put it, 'put on her big-girl panties and move on!' Or, maybe, take her big-girl panties _off,"_ Hawke said with a sly grin. "Anyway, I told her earlier this morning how much she amazes me, how quick she's bounced back from everything."

"Yeah, me too," Dom said, chuckling at Hawke's comments, "but it's good, isn't it?"

"Oh, yeah," String replied. "It's very good. And of course, you remember how quick she bounced back after the hijacking? She was back here the next day, arguing with her mom on the phone like nothing happened."

"Yeah," Dom said, his expression indicating he remembered that day. "You gotta admit, Cait's a pretty amazing gal."

"She sure is, Dom," Hawke said as he watched Cait with their child, and allowed a smile to cross his lips, "She sure is."

"Has Mr. Santini started suffering yet?" the mystery man asked his associate.

"Well, he hasn't had any business in three days," the man on the other side of the desk replied. "So I'm guessing he's hurtin' a little. But why bring him into this, Mr. Langhorn? I thought it was just Hawke and his wife you had a problem with."

"Because, Jeffrey, Mr. Santini helped Mr. Hawke kill Kenneth. So, he's as much a target as any of the rest of them. You know my motto—'no witnesses, and _no survivors.'_

"I just don't like it," Jeffrey replied. "Mr. Santini was an old war buddy of my father's back in Korea, and so was Hawke's father, if what I read about him is true."

"You're not developing a conscience on me—are you, Jeffrey?" Langhorn demanded.

"No, sir," Jeffrey lied. He hoped his boss couldn't tell that he was lying. _If he figured out I just lied to him, he'd shoot me right here,_ Jeffrey said to himself anxiously. _Because if there's anything this man can't tolerate more than a man with a conscience, it's a liar._

"Good. Because in our line of work, a conscience is something you can ill afford to have."

"Yessir, Mr. Langhorn," Jeffrey said hesitantly. "I—I understand."

"Very well. Then, prepare to carry out the next phase of my plan. By the time I'm finished, Santini will be bankrupt, and Hawke and that bitch of a wife of his will be pushing up daisies somewhere. Unless I decide to keep his wife for myself—once I make her a widow, that is. I've been told she's quite the looker." He wrote a quick note on a piece of paper he'd taken from a drawer. "You know what to do with this, Jeffrey?"

"Yessir," Jeffrey said hesitantly, before he turned and left the room.

**Santini Air, later that afternoon**

"String!" Dom said anxiously as Cait and String walked back into the hangar from lunch. "Found this on one of the helicopters a minute ago." Dom handed Hawke the envelope he'd found taped to the nose of 4-4 Charlie.

"Thanks, Dom," Hawke said, tearing the envelope open.

_Mr. Hawke,_

_I'm sure your friend Mr. Santini is wondering why he hasn't had any business these past few days. I'm proud to say that I'm the reason for that. You, Mr. Santini, and that bitch of a wife of yours took someone very dear to me away from me. And now, you're all going to suffer. This is only the beginning._

_RWL_

"_RWL?"_ Hawke asked, dumbfounded. "Who the hell is that?"

"I don't have the foggiest idea," Dom said, "but I'll bet I know who does."

"Michael," Hawke said, heading for the office to make a phone call.

Thirty minutes later, Michael had arrived at Santini Air and reviewed the note Hawke had found. "I wish I had something more concrete for you, Hawke, but I do think I know who "RWL" might be."

"Well, don't keep us in suspense, Michael," Caitlin said. "Who are we dealing with this time?"

"Ronald Wilson Langhorn," Michael said, noting Hawke and Caitlin's reactions. "Kenneth Langhorn's older brother. And I'm not surprised he's gunning for you, Hawke, after what happened a few years ago with Kenneth Langhorn. You know about the Mafia and their attitudes about family, honor, and revenge. We've heard Ronald might be taking over the operations that his younger brother had, not to mention the fact that Ronald is a top Mafia boss in this region—he's got connections to both Russian and Italian mafia money, not to mention weapons—and if any of those are employed against you, that automatically makes this a FIRM affair—as if it weren't already. You may have made yourself a very dangerous enemy, Hawke. One that would not hesitate to murder a woman—or a child." Hawke noticed Caitlin's face blanch at Michael's comment.

"Then how are you going to protect Cait, Dom, and my daughter, Michael?" Hawke demanded.

"I've already discussed that with Zeus," Michael said, just as a large van pulled up and discharged six heavily armed troopers, wearing full body armor. "Zebra Squad is on full alert—part here, and part at your cabin. They'll watch for any suspicious activity—you'll all be guarded around the clock."

"Thank you, Michael," Caitlin said, laying her hand on top of String's. "We all appreciate that."

"It's the least I can do, for now," Michael said, smiling at her. "There may be more we can do once we have a better idea what Langhorn's motives are, and how he plans to..." Michael cut himself off as he heard the shattering of glass. One of the Zebra Squad troopers rushed towards the sound, and came back a few moments later carrying a rock, with a piece of paper tied to it, which the trooper handed to Hawke.

"That's for me, I'm guessing," Hawke said as he untied the paper from the rock and unfolded it.

_Mr. Hawke,_

_Consider this little act of vandalism the opening salvo of a war. I'm declaring war on you, Mr. Hawke, and bringing the full force of my organization to bear against you and your family, for what you did to mine. And you'll never know what I'm planning...or who I might strike against, or where, or when. If I were you, Mr. Hawke, I would be afraid—be **very **afraid._

_RWL_

"If Langhorn thinks I'm going to let a few threats and a broken window scare me, then he's got another think coming!" Hawke announced, and Caitlin nodded her agreement.

"We'll be fine, String," she said nervously, "as long as we're together, we'll be just fine." _I sure hope I sounded convincing,_ Caitlin said to herself. _Even though I'm scared to death right now._

"I know, Cait," Hawke said, then turned his focus back to Archangel. "All right, Michael," Hawke said, "you better figure out a way to protect Saint John, too. I'm betting Langhorn will strike out at him since he's my brother, never mind the fact that he had nothing to do with what happened before."

"You might be right, Hawke," Michael said thoughtfully. "I know a little about the Mafioso's belief in the concept of "an eye for an eye," so I can imagine Langhorn going after Saint John, since he's your brother. I'll make arrangements to have security posted at Saint John's apartment building as well."

"Thank you, Michael," Hawke replied. "In the meantime, we aren't going to just live our lives in fear. We're going to live our lives just like normal, and together, we'll bring this guy down, just like we did his brother." Hawke smiled, and was relieved to see Cait and Dom smile back at him. "First thing, though, let's get that glass cleaned up, and get somebody out here to fix that window." Cait nodded and went to fetch a broom and dustpan, while Dom went to call a glass company he used when things got broken around the hangar.

"We'll cover that," Michael said when he heard Dom say something about paying for the repairs. "Since this is turning into an official FIRM concern, it's the least we can do."

"Thanks, Michael," Dom said. "I just get a bad feelin' this won't be the last time I get hit."

"We'll deal with each one as the time comes, Dominic," Michael said calmly as he turned to walk back to his limousine. He climbed in, after the chauffeur opened the back door, and they were soon on their way back to Knightsbridge. As they drove off, Michael picked up the phone in the back of the limo and called Zeus. "This is Angel One, Zeus. I'm afraid we may have a mole in the FIRM. I'll explain when I get back. Angel One, out." _I hope like hell I'm wrong,_ _But something tells me I'm not._

_So...Kenneth Langhorn had a brother—who's now gunning for Hawke and his family. __And there might be a mole in the FIRM? __What will __Langhorn__ do to up the ante in this war? Stay tuned! _


	3. Chapter 3

_Vengeance, Chap. 3_

"What next, String?" Caitlin asked him at home that night, after receiving the note from Langhorn.

"Who knows," Hawke replied, moving closer to her on the porch. "But like I said, we're not gonna hide up here, or at the hangar. As soon as we figure out what Langhorn's up to, we'll take him down the same way we took his brother down."

"String," Cait said, gazing worriedly into his steel-blue eyes, "promise me...promise me whatever happens, you'll come back to me. I—I can't raise Saoirse alone, you know that."

"Cait," Hawke said, gazing intently into her hazel eyes, "I promise you, if it's in my power, I'll come back to you. I love you and Saoirse too much, you know that. If I can, I'll come back to you."

"Thanks, String," Caitlin replied, nervously. _He didn't sound convinced, and that scares me. He sounded scared. And I know Stringfellow Hawke—he doesn't scare easy. So now, I'm scared._

"I—I'm sorry, Cait," Hawke said, surprising her.

"For what, String?" Caitlin asked.

"For being scared about this whole thing," Hawke said. "I—I mean, I don't want anything to happen to you, any more than you want something to happen to me. And Michael said this Langhorn wouldn't hesitate to harm a woman, or a child."

"Well, String," Caitlin said, sighing, "with you, Dom, the Zebra Squad, and the Lady on my side, I've gotta admit that I'm feelin' pretty safe." _How the heck did he know what I was thinkin'? _Cait asked herself.

"Guess I'm getting better, huh?"

"Better?" Caitlin asked, surprised.

"At reading your emotions," Hawke replied, smiling at his wife. "Don't ask me how, but I just _knew _you were thinkin' about how I said I was scared—and that made you scared," String said, relieved when Caitlin nodded at him.

"Yeah, String," Caitlin said, "I'm scared. And like you, I don't scare easy, y'know that."

"Yeah, Cait," Hawke said as he pulled her close to him, "I know." Then, his lips were on hers again, and Caitlin forgot everything—except the feel of her husband's arms around her.

"String?" Caitlin asked a few minutes later.

"Yeah, Cait?" Hawke replied as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Are we okay?"

"Yeah, Cait," Hawke said. "We're okay. And, we're gonna be okay, no matter what happens with Langhorn. We're a team, you and me—no matter what."

"Yeah," Caitlin said, remembering the words they had exchanged on their wedding day. "No matter what."

"Now for Step 3," Langhorn said, rolling his Padron 1926 #9 Maduro cigar in his hand. "You know your instructions, Jeffrey?"

"Yessir," Jeffrey said, "but this part, I really don't understand. Why _him_? He had nothing to do with what happened to Kenneth. So why are you going after him?"

"If I need to explain that," Langhorn said angrily, "then I might just kill you, too. _Everyone _connected with Stringfellow Hawke _must pay _for what happened to my brother. That includes...him. Is that clear?"

"Yessir," Jeffrey replied, still hesitant. He finally nodded and left.

_Soon, Mister Hawke,_ Langhorn thought to himself as he lit the cigar. _Very soon. You took my brother away from me, so now I'm going to take your brother away from you._

Jeffrey pulled up in front of the apartment building at the address he'd been given. He looked around anxiously as he loaded his weapon, finally spotting the target. He knew that armed guards had been assigned to this man, as they had to everyone connected with Stringfellow Hawke. _I still don't like this, _Jeffrey said to himself anxiously. _Hittin' an innocent man just because he has the same last name as the guy Langhorn's after, __it__ just doesn't seem right. __I mean, I know he's Hawke's brother and all, but still—__I'm not__ sure I can just kill an innocent man._ When he saw the target walking towards his apartment building's door, Jeffrey took a deep breath as he climbed out of his car, got close behind the man, and fired two shots at him, dropping him instantly. He threw the gun away as far as he could, then after he climbed back into his car, he picked up his cell phone and dialed 911.

"Yes? There's been a shooting," Jeffrey said, giving the address. "Please, hurry!" He snapped the phone shut and waited, breathing a sigh of relief when the ambulance arrived a few minutes later. He walked over to the paramedics as they began working on the victim. One looked up at Jeffrey and said, "You found him like this?"

"Yeah," Jeffrey replied. "I was driving along here and I thought I heard somethin' that sounded like a gunshot, so as soon as I figured out there was nobody around, I came out and found him lyin' here like this." _I sure hope the cops buy that story,_ he said to himself anxiously.

"Okay," the paramedic said as he and his partner began working. "The cops might have a few questions for you, so hang tight."

The police arrived a few moments later, and as the paramedic had suggested, they had a few questions for Jeffrey. He told them the same thing he'd told the paramedic—that he'd been driving along and heard a gunshot, then got out of his car as soon as he determined there wasn't anybody around who might shoot him, and found the victim lying on the ground.

"Okay," the officer said as he closed up his notebook. "You're free to go. But, stay around here if you possibly can—because if we have any more questions, we'll call you." Jeffrey nodded and climbed back into his car as he thought to himself, _I sure hope they got here in time. And that what I did is enough to convince Langhorn that I carried out his wishes._

Later, though, Clayborne had a change of heart. _I just can't get the vision outta my head. __T__hat man—__Hawke's brother—just __lying there bleeding. Even though I __only __shot to wound him, he could still die, __and__ I can't have a murder on my conscience, _Clayborne said to himself. He quickly drove to the local police station and turned himself in, saying that he'd shot a man earlier this evening. _I figure the cops can keep me safe,_ Clayborne said to himself after they read him his Miranda rights and placed him under arrest. _At least, I hope they can, _he added anxiously as they escorted him to a cell. _'Cause__ I'd rather face the cops than Langhorn any day __of the week__. __I mean,__ as soon as he finds out what I've done, he'll kill me for sure. _The policemen locked the cell door behind Clayborne, and he stretched out on the small cot, trying to relax as he pondered what he would do next. _Might as well make my peace with God,_ he said to himself, _'cause if Hawke's brother dies, I'm probably a dead man anyway, __but__ I'd rather go that way than have to face Langhorn again._

**Santini Air**

"Hey, you two," Dom said as Hawke and Caitlin climbed out of their helicopter, "Everything okay?"

"As okay as it can be, under the circumstances," String replied, and Caitlin nodded. "I mean, we're both scared, just like you are, Dom."

"Me? Scared?" Dom said, laughing. "Nah...this is nothin'. In fact, it reminds me of somethin' that happened between your dad and me back in—"

"_Dom?"_ Hawke said, a little more insistently.

"Okay, String," Dom admitted, "Okay, I'll admit it—I'm scared. Scared for you, Cait, Saoirse Marie, and for myself. But do you blame me? Archangel said this crazy Langhorn wouldn't hesitate to hurt a woman—or a child," he glanced down at the carrier Caitlin held in her hand, and he saw Saoirse Marie peacefully sleeping inside. He also saw the Zebra Squad troopers standing guard just outside the hangar door. "So, I know rubbing out an old man like me wouldn't bother him in the least! And I'll tell ya somethin' else, String—I'll be damned if anything's going to happen to Cait, or Saoirse Marie, if I have anything to say about it!"

"I feel the same way," Hawke said as he embraced Dom. "And it's good to know you've got our backs, Dom."

"Your dad wouldn't have it any other way, String," Dom replied, and Hawke nodded, smiling as he recalled how close Dom and his parents had been, before the accident on Eagle Lake. _I know he wouldn't, Dom,_ Hawke said to himself, even allowing a smile to cross his face at the memory of his parents. _Dad would have insisted you take care of all of us, just like you always have,_ he thought to himself.

As they walked into the hangar, Dom heard the phone in the office ringing. He ran into the office to pick it up, but was too late to keep Saoirse Marie from waking up and crying. "Hello?" he said as Caitlin set the carrier down on the floor of the office and picked up her daughter, trying to soothe her. A few moments later, Saoirse's cries had subsided, and Caitlin quickly found a pacifier in her bag and stuck it in Saoirse's mouth, sighing with relief when she closed her eyes and seemed to have relaxed again.

"_WHAT?"_ Dom demanded, causing String and Caitlin to turn towards him. "Where are you, Michael? Okay. Okay, Michael! I've got it! We're on our way!" Dom slammed the phone down, then looked at String and Cait with tears in his eyes.

"That—that was Michael," Dom said, his voice nearly breaking. "He—he said that..." Dom's voice broke and String forced Dom to look him in the eyes.

"Dammit, Dom," String demanded, "_What __the hell_ did Michael say?" _It's gotta be something huge to get Dom to react like this,_ String said to himself. A feeling of dread began growing in Hawke's stomach.

"Oh, dear God in heaven, String...Michael said that Saint John's been shot!" Hawke and Caitlin both gasped audibly. Caitlin quickly bundled Saoirse Marie up in her carrier again, and Dom herded them towards one of the Jeeps to head for the hospital.

_I can't lose Saint John! Not now,_ String thought to himself, fighting to keep the tears out of his eyes as they walked out to the Jeep. Caitlin saw her husband's expression and gently squeezed his arm as they stopped walking for a moment. "Hey, String. Sinj'll be okay. He's tough, just like you." She turned Hawke's face towards her and smiled at him, and was relieved to see him force a weak smile back in return.

"Thanks, Cait," String replied, giving his wife a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"Anytime," Caitlin replied as she squeezed his hand again. "Dom," Caitlin said, taking the keys, "I'll drive, okay?" Dom nodded weakly, and the trio quickly climbed into the Jeep and headed for the hospital.

_Just hang in there, Sinj, _Hawke said to himself anxiously. _We're on our way._

_Talk about upping the ante—now Saint John's been shot!_ Will Hawke lose the brother he worked so hard to find? And what will these events do to his marriage? Answers in Chap. 4!


	4. Chapter 4

_Vengeance, Chap. 4_

_Disclaimer—_Don't own anything, as usual.

"_Shot?" _Hawke demanded. "_When? HOW?"_

"Just a few minutes ago," Dom said. "He was getting out of his car back at his apartment building, and the guards didn't see the guy who shot him. He's being taken to Kensington Memorial Hospital."

Caitlin recognized the name of the hospital, because she'd been there five years ago when she'd been attacked coming out of the hangar during the first trouble with Kenneth Langhorn. "String," Caitlin said, pulling him closer to her body, "the doc there is one of the best in the country...and I'll lay odds that Marella's gonna be helpin' him any way she can. Sinj'll be okay, String," she said, pulling her husband into a strong embrace, "you've just gotta have faith that he'll be okay."

"Let's go, Dom," Hawke said, his voice shaking. Caitlin offered to drive, since Dom and String were both worried sick about Saint John.

When they reached Kensington, Michael was standing in the door waiting for them. "Michael," Hawke gasped, "how's—?"

"He's alive," Michael said, and Hawke, Dom, and Caitlin both sighed with relief. "The bullets passed straight through his shoulder...and, I have another piece of good news. We've already got the guy who did it."

"_WHAT?_" Hawke demanded, dumbfounded. "How the hell did—?"

"If you'll calm down for a second, Stringfellow, I'll explain," Michael said, even as Caitlin laid a hand on Hawke's shoulder to try and relax him. "Apparently, the shooter was Langhorn's right-hand man...Langhorn put a hit out on Sinj _because_ he's your brother. The shooter tried to get Langhorn to see reason—told him Saint John didn't have anything to do with what happened to Kenneth, but Richard wasn't listening—kept going on about the Mafioso brand of honor, and family, and all that nonsense. Anyway, the shooter was waiting for your brother outside his apartment, and the guards I assigned were apparently far enough away that they didn't hear the shot—plus, we found his weapon, and there was a silencer on it," Michael continued. "But a few minutes ago, the shooter—Jeffrey Clayborne is his name—turned himself in to the local cops. Apparently, Clayborne had an attack of conscience and decided he'd only try to wound Saint John rather than kill him. Clayborne also decided that when Langhorn found out your brother _wasn't _dead, that he'd kill Clayborne himself. Actually, Langhorn already threatened to do it, once, from what I've heard," Michael said, scratching his head.

"What about Saint John, Michael?" Hawke demanded.

"He's out of surgery," Michael replied. "Marella's with him down in his room. Come on," Michael said, and String reached for Caitlin's free hand, grabbing it and holding tight.

"String," Caitlin whispered, trying to relax him, "Michael said he's okay."

"I know, Cait," String said, giving her hand a comforting squeeze. "It's—it's just frightening that I almost lost Saint John again, after everything I went through to find him." Marella was standing outside Saint John's room, and she gave String a reassuring embrace.

"He's fine, Stringfellow," Marella said. "I wasn't in the OR for the surgery, but I know the man who was—Dr. Richard Klingman, one of the best surgeons in the country."

"If he's so good, Marella, then why isn't he workin' for you, at Foxbridge Clinic?" Hawke asked, a small smile crossing his face.

"Funny you should ask, Hawke," Marella said. "We actually tried to bring him on staff a few months ago. But he refused our offers—said he wanted to stay here, working with 'regular' patients."

"And it's a damned good thing he did," Hawke replied. "May I?" He asked, motioning toward the door.

"Go ahead, Marella said, smiling. "He should be awake."

Hawke and Caitlin walked into the room, and saw Saint John propped up in the pillows. "Hey, little brother," Saint John said as he saw String. "And you brought my niece? You shouldn't have," Saint John added as he saw the carrier Caitlin was holding.

"How're you feeling, Sinj?" Hawke asked.

"Well, my shoulder hurts like hell...but it's nothin' like what happened that time at Basic," Saint John replied. He saw Caitlin's puzzled expression and said, "I fell 50 feet off a rappelling tower during Basic Training. Broke my right arm in three different places. From what your friend Marella tells me, the guy who shot me was supposed to be tryin' to kill me, but he chickened out. What's up with that?"

"That's kind of a long story, Sinj," String replied. "But the short version of it is—the brother of somebody that Cait, Dom and I helped take down a couple of years ago is lookin' for revenge against me—and, he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants."

"Dammit," Saint John said, "and I'm stuck in here with this busted wing, and can't do a damned thing to help you guys."

"We'll get him, Sinj," String replied. "I promise you, we'll get him."

"In the meantime," Cait said, lifting Saoirse out of her carrier, "would you like to meet your niece?"

"'Would I like to meet my niece?', she says. What kind of a question is that?" Saint John demanded with a smile as he held his arms out, and Caitlin laid Saoirse in them.

"Cait, String, she's beautiful," Saint John said as Saoirse Marie opened her eyes. "String, she's got your eyes, I think."

"Yeah," String replied, smiling at his daughter. "We think so, too."

**Meanwhile...**

"You got everything set up?"

"Yeah," another voice replied, outside the main hangar of Santini Air. "You got the cocktails?"

"Right here," the first man answered, patting the case he'd slung over his left shoulder. Five Molotov cocktails lay inside, and he drew one out, giving it another douse of gasoline, before lighting it and throwing it through the hangar window. Both men circled the hangar, throwing their deadly missiles inside, until it was engulfed in flames.

"String," Saint John asked after Caitlin had taken Saoirse Marie from him and put her to bed, "don't you worry about what this guy Langhorn might do next?"

"Yeah," Hawke replied. "Michael told me that Langhorn's the kind of guy who wouldn't hesitate to kill women, or children." He dropped his voice at his last word, but Caitlin's expression indicated that she'd heard him. "But I'm _not_ going to let him hurt Cait, or Saoirse," Hawke promised.

"If he tries, I'll put a Texas-sized whuppin' on him, you know that, String!" Caitlin said, causing Saint John and String both to laugh. Just then, Marella came back into the room with Dom, who looked white as a ghost.

"Dom?" String asked. "What's wrong?"

"Willis just called the hospital from the airfield," Dom said, and Cait and String noticed the tears in his eyes. "He—he said there was a fire at the hangar, String! I'm ruined, String! Ruined!" Dom collapsed in a fit of tears, and Caitlin moved over and put her arms around him.

"Dominic," Marella said, "the FIRM will compensate you for the damage to the hangar, and we'll help you rebuild." Michael came in just at that moment, saying, "Hawke? Could you come outside for just a moment? I need to speak to you."

"Excuse me," Hawke said, glancing at Dom and Caitlin. He walked outside and closed Saint John's door behind him. "What have you got, Michael?"

"Well, first of all, I want you to know Marella's right—the FIRM _will _help Dominic rebuild...since his air service is the cover for the work you all do for us. And second," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, "this was hand-delivered to me a few moments ago. The delivery person wouldn't tell me who it was from, but I have my suspicions."

"Langhorn," Hawke growled as he unfolded the letter.

_Mr. Hawke,_

_Are you getting the message? I told you that I was going to make you pay for what you did to Kenny, and I will. I've already killed your brother, and ruined the old man's business. Next on my agenda is that pretty little wife of yours, who I understand has a baby. You haven't been able to stop me before, Mr. Hawke, and when I make my next move, you won't be able to stop me again._

_RWL_

"Well," Hawke said as he tore the letter up, "at least he doesn't know that Saint John's not dead. That's about the only thing we've got in our favor right now."

"Hawke," Michael said, "I'm doubling the guards around Santini Air—or what's left of it—and the cabin. We'll make sure that nobody can get near Caitlin."

"Thank you, Michael," Hawke said, casting a worried glance back at Saint John's room. "I just hope that'll be enough."

_Santini Air ruined? And Langhorn coming after Caitlin? Can Hawke stop him before the next part of his plan is set into motion? Chap. 5 coming soon! _


	5. Chapter 5

_Vengeance, Chap. 5_

Disclaimer—Don't own anything, as usual.

"Hawke," Caitlin said nervously, "I—I'm scared. What if this Langhorn fella comes after Saoirse and me, like he said he was gonna do?"

"Cait," Hawke replied, wrapping her in his arms, "all we can do is just keep doin' what we are doing. I don't intend to put our lives completely on hold because of this madman. Of course, he's already done a pretty good job of that, with the job he did on Santini Air." Hawke and Caitlin had visited the burned-out hulk of the hangar earlier in the day, and Archangel's investigators had confirmed that it was arson. "We even found some fragments of the Molotov Cocktails they used," Michael said, shaking his head.

"So what are we gonna do, Hawke?" Caitlin asked, worried again.

"Well, the security team's been beefed up, like Michael said, and there's extra security back at what's left of the hangar. So I don't know how Langhorn's going to get to us, but if he does, we'll be waiting," Hawke said as he pulled Caitlin closer to him.

"We've got company," Hawke said nervously a few minutes later. He quietly moved to the window overlooking the dock, and relaxed considerably when he recognized the FIRM's helicopter. "It's Michael," he said, and Caitlin also relaxed. A few minutes later, Michael and Marella had entered the cabin.

"Hello, Hawke," Michael said as he limped over to a chair and sat down. "How are you and Cait holding up?"

"So far, so good, Michael," Hawke said, but Michael thought he heard the tension in Hawke's voice.

"Well, Stringfellow, all the guards have been notified of Langhorn's threat, and we've brought in some Stinger surface-to-air missiles. If the guards see any helicopters they don't recognize, they'll be shot down if ID requests are ignored."

"Good," Hawke said. He knew the capabilities of the FIM-92 Stinger surface-to-air missile—he'd used it to bring down two F-4 Phantoms after Airwolf crashed while transporting his old girlfriend Tess Dixon to a meeting in Washington, D.C. In the hands of trained soldiers, the FIM-92 was a deadly weapon, and Hawke was relieved to learn that they were being used to help protect his family.

"Any leads on Langhorn?" Hawke demanded.

"Actually, yes," Michael replied. "We've tracked him to the same compound his brother used when you tangled with him before. And, we've also discovered we had a mole in the FIRM." Hawke and Caitlin both reacted to Michael's statement.

"You mean Langhorn had somebody working for you, Michael?" Hawke demanded. "How?"

"We didn't even know she was a member of Langhorn's operation until I caught her riffling through some of the records on the first Santini Air hit," Michael said. "Kathleen Nesbit was her name. A very bright girl. Too bad, really. Now all she'll have to look forward to is either a nice long stay at Tiger's Point, or termination," Michael said, and Hawke knew from experience that Michael didn't just mean that Nesbit would be let go from her position. _I remember what happened before, _Hawke said to himself, remembering his friend Larry Mason, and how a mole named Barnes had almost gotten Mason, Marella, and Archangel killed.

"Personally, I'm going to push for termination," Michael said. "Spending the rest of her life in a prison cell is too good for the likes of Nesbit. But, we'll see what the review board determines."

"I hope everything works out, Michael," Hawke said, remembering how another mole in the FIRM had almost gotten himself, Dom, and Tess Dixon killed.

"So do I, Hawke," Michael said. "Oh, by the way—how are things going at Santini Air? Or, what's left of it?"

"They're workin' as hard as they can, Michael," Hawke replied. "Dom told us to stay away for a couple of days—with no helicopters, and no hangar, there's really not much we can do out there."

"Well, the first of Dominic's new helicopters should be delivered within the week," Michael said, "so that should help some."

"I'm sure it will, Michael," Hawke replied, smiling at him. He nodded at Marella, and the two turned and left the cabin. Hawke and Caitlin watched their helicopter leave the dock a short time later.

Later that evening, as Hawke and Caitlin sat on the couch by the fireplace, Hawke turned his head at the sound of another helicopter approaching.

"Cait, we've got company," Hawke said, worriedly. "And I don't think it's Michael or Dom."

"You mean—?" Caitlin responded, and her thoughts immediately went to Saoirse Marie, sleeping a few feet away in her carrier.

"Yeah," Hawke said, now even more worried as the sound of the helicopter came closer, "and if those boys with the Stingers don't bring that chopper down damned quick, we're in _big trouble._" Caitlin nodded and got up from the couch, picking up Saoirse's carrier as Hawke moved to get his gun.

Just about the time Hawke figured the chopper would have been shot down, he heard footsteps running up the dock. Suddenly, the door was thrown open and a dozen men with automatic weapons stormed through, two grabbing Caitlin and the rest providing a pathway to the front door.

"Caitlin!" Hawke shouted, but two men came and grabbed him by the arms, holding him tightly as Caitlin's captors dragged her towards the door. She tried to escape, but because she was holding Saoirse's carrier in one hand, her ability to defend herself was limited. Finally, she heard a voice say, "Do what we say, and nobody gets hurt!"

"Why don't I believe you?" she demanded. "You'll kill me and my baby as soon as we get to wherever we're going!"

"The boss wants you alive—you and the kid," one of the men holding her said. "Don't make us have to disappoint him."

"Cait," Hawke said, straining to break the hold his captors had on him, "do what they say. We'll find you—you know that."

"I—I know, String," Caitlin said, just as her captors forced her out of the front door of the cabin. The two men holding String released him, but kept their weapons trained on him until they were out the door as well. Shortly afterward, the helicopter left the dock, and Hawke quickly called Dom.

"Dom! Get the Lady and get up here, right _now!_" Hawke ordered.

"What's going on?" Dom asked, worried.

"Langhorn's goons got up here and they grabbed Cait and the baby," Hawke said, his voice near the breaking point.

"I'm on my way, String!" Dom shouted.

**Meanwhile...**

"You better let my baby and me go," Caitlin said as one of her captors finished tying her hands behind her back.

"That's for Langhorn to decide, lady," the man said, giving the ropes an extra jerk.

"How am I supposed to take care of my baby with my hands tied?" Caitlin demanded. "She's gonna need to be changed, and fed. Not to mention that I'll bet she's scared to death right now!" Almost as if to confirm Caitlin's statement, Saoirse Marie started crying. _Nice timing, sweetie,_ Caitlin said to herself proudly.

"Okay, okay," her captor relented and quickly untied her hands.

"It's okay, sweetie," Caitlin said after she picked Saoirse up out of her carrier. "Mommy's here. I'm not gonna let the bad men hurt you, sweetie."

"Ugh. I think I'm gonna be sick," one of the men said. "Why'd we have to grab the kid, too?"

"Simple. Because I wouldn't have come without her," Caitlin replied. "You would've had to shoot me back at the cabin, and then you'd have to explain why I was dead to your boss—which I don't think would've gone too well for you." _I sure hope I don't sound as scared as I feel,_ Caitlin said to herself. _'Cause Saoirse needs me to be strong for her until String and Dom can find me._

**So Langhorn's got Cait...can Hawke and Dom find her in time? Or will Langhorn's plan succeed?**

_Stay tuned for Chap. 6! _


	6. Chapter 6

_Vengeance, Chap. 6_

Disclaimer—still don't own anything.

"Michael!" Hawke snapped aboard Airwolf. "I want some answers, dammit, and I want them _now! How the hell_ did Langhorn's goons get to the cabin to get Cait and Saoirse?"

_Wow,_ Dom said to himself anxiously. _The last time I heard String this angry, we were in the desert in Libya, and he was holdin' Gabrielle in his arms as she died. _

"Hawke," Michael said, embarrassed, "it was a very clever plot. Apparently, the pilots in the chopper had a recording of Dominic's voice, making an identification call to the tower. It was dark out, you know, and the guards couldn't see—"

"What in the hell do you mean, they couldn't see, Michael?" Hawke demanded. "Didn't your men have night-vision gear, for God's sake?"

"Regrettably, no, Hawke," Michael said. "It was poor planning on our part, and the people in charge have already been relieved of their duties. We just...didn't anticipate they'd try something so brazen as a nighttime attack on your cabin."

"Michael, I swear to you on the graves of my parents," Hawke said angrily, "if _anything _happens to Caitlin or Saoirse, I will see you _roast in Hell!_ Airwolf, _out!_" Hawke angrily threw the switch to terminate communications.

"They didn't anticipate a nighttime attack on the cabin!" Hawke growled. "What kind of idiots are running the show over at the FIRM, for God's sake?"

"String," Dom said, "they'll be okay. Cait's a tough gal, you know that...and she's not about to let anything happen to Saoirse. All we've gotta do is find 'em, and that should be easy enough, since Michael told us where they are. The main thing is that you've gotta cool down, String. You're not gonna do Cait any good if you're not thinkin' straight."

"Yeah," Hawke said nervously. "You're right, Dom. As usual, you're right. I just hope we get there in time."

**Meanwhile...**

"Okay, so you've got me," Caitlin said nervously. "Why'd you have to kidnap my baby, too?" Caitlin stood protectively over Saoirse Marie's carrier, not about to let anyone lay a hand on her child.

"My dear Mrs. Hawke," Ronald Wilson Langhorn said with a smirk, "my boys knew you wouldn't come with them, at least not willingly, if they didn't take your daughter. And, they had strict orders to bring you back here _alive._ And," he said, flipping on a monitor, "I don't take kindly to people not obeying my orders." Caitlin winced when she saw the bullet-riddled body on the screen before her. _Well, at least I was right,_ Caitlin said to herself, remembering what she'd told Langhorn's men in the helicopter. _He wants me alive. So if they hadn't brought my baby with them, they would've had to shoot me, just like I said, and then Langhorn woulda killed them after they explained it to him, just like I'm afraid he's gonna kill me and Saoirse when this is all over._

"This was Jeffrey Clayborne, the man I sent to shoot Hawke's brother," Langhorn said emotionlessly. "When I learned he had failed in his mission, I had no choice but to kill him, mafia-style. He thought he'd be safe by going to the cops, but sadly, he was wrong. Too bad, really. He had a wife, a couple of kids. But she's a widow now, and the kids are going to grow up without their father. So," he said, glancing at Caitlin, "don't force me to make Hawke a widower before I get the chance to kill him, since he's the one I really want to see dead, not you. You're even more beautiful than I thought you were, Mrs. Hawke. Once I've made _you_ a widow, maybe we can get to know each other a little better."

"Like hell!" Caitlin spat at him. She wanted to slap his face, but even though her hands were free, after what she had just seen, Caitlin knew a decision like that might get her, or Saoirse, injured. _Or worse,_ Caitlin thought to herself. So she clenched her fists tightly at her sides, trying to regain control of her emotions.

"You say that now," Langhorn said, walking up and taking her face in one hand, "but, once you're a widow, anything's possible." Caitlin fought to swallow the vomit that was quickly rising in her throat, but she managed to force it down without Langhorn noticing. _Easy, Caity girl,_ she said to herself. _You know this nut hasn't got anything that Hawke can't beat. He'll come for you and Saoirse. It's just gonna take a little time._

"By the way, Mrs. Hawke," Langhorn said, "it might interest you to know that I have an _entire flight_ of MiGs at my disposal, complete with top-of-the-line Russian pilots. Amazing what the dollar will do, isn't it?" He flashed a sardonic grin at Caitlin's reaction. "And if they don't get your Mr. Hawke, the anti-aircraft guns and missiles I have ringing this building should do the job. You see, Mrs. Hawke," Langhorn said, advancing towards her again, "I've anticipated every contingency, including that machine your Mr. Hawke flies. There's no way he can fight through every layer of my defenses, so one way or the other, Stringfellow Hawke _will die,_" he said, grinning evilly at Caitlin.

_Right,_ Caitlin said to herself. _You obviously haven't read the background on Airwolf, if that's what you think. It's gonna take a helluva lot more than a flight of MiGs and a bunch of anti-aircraft weapons to keep String from finding us. And those 'top-of-the-line Russian pilots' don't scare me, either. Besides, how many planes in a flight? Six, I think. And String's faced worse odds than that, and survived. _She suddenly felt a lot better about the odds of String finding her and bringing her and Saoirse home, alive.

"Oh, and one other thing, Mrs. Hawke," Langhorn said, "don't worry about your baby. As long as you cooperate, and do _exactly_ as I tell you, my boys have strict orders not to lay a hand on your child. And as I told you before, I don't tolerate people who don't follow orders."

Remembering the bullet-riddled body she'd seen on the monitor, Caitlin replied, "You'll excuse me if I find that extremely hard to believe, Langhorn. But it doesn't matter, anyway. String will be here any minute to rescue us. And then, you'll be in for more trouble than you've seen in your entire miserable life."

"My, my, you are a spitfire, aren't you, Mrs. Hawke?" Langhorn said as he walked up to her and calmly slapped her across the face. "You remind me of a filly I once owned. Beautiful, spirited, free and wild. It took me _two weeks _to break her. And," he said, hungrily eying Caitlin's body, "I enjoyed _every single minute of it."_

_Easy, stomach,_ Caitlin said to herself again. _Don't turn over now. Easy does it._ She took a few deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down, knowing that when the time came to make her escape, she'd need to be thinking with a clear head, to help String and Dom in whatever way she could. Finally, she saw Langhorn walk out of the room she was being held in, locking the door behind him. Just then, Caitlin heard Saoirse Marie begin crying again, and quickly lifted her out of her carrier.

"Shh," Caitlin cooed, trying to make her voice as calming as possible. "Don't worry, baby. Your daddy and your Grandpa Dom are comin', and they're not gonna let _anything _happen to us. We'll be home soon enough." Caitlin stood with Saoirse, rocking her to and fro and softly singing, _"Hush, little baby, don't say a word. Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird..." _until Saoirse finally fell back to sleep again. Caitlin sat down on a cot at one end of her room, humming softly to try and keep Saoirse asleep for as long as possible. _C'mon, String,_ she said to herself anxiously. Almost in answer, Caitlin suddenly heard Airwolf's familiar howl. _Thank God,_ she said to herself. _He's here._

"How're we doing, Dom?" Hawke asked anxiously.

"Oughta see the compound any minute," Dom said. Just at that moment, Hawke sighted Langhorn's compound. "Got it, Dom! We can land in that courtyard, over—" Dom suddenly, worriedly, interrupted.

"_Whoops!"_ Dom shouted as the ID scan program kicked in. "We got MiGs closing in a _big hurry!_"

"How many?" Hawke demanded.

"Six," Dom said, glancing down at the screen. "Readout says MiG-25s, armed with Aarid missiles, and 30mm cannons."

"Well, Michael did say Langhorn had connections with the Russians," Hawke said grimly. "But, we've beaten their stuff before, and we'll do it again."

"Now you're talkin', String!" Dom crowed.

"Okay, then," Hawke said. "Weapons to combat mode."

"Combat mode," Dom echoed, punching the buttons to deploy Airwolf's chain guns and ADF pod.

"Here we go!" Hawke said as he turned Airwolf in the direction of the advancing MiGs.

**6-1 odds against MiG-25s? Can Hawke and Dom fight their way through to Langhorn's fortress, and will Cait be alive when they get there? Chap. 7 coming soon!**


	7. Chapter 7

_Vengeance, Chap. 7_

_Disclaimer—_Don't make any money, don't own anything, except a couple of characters.

"_Well, Michael did say Langhorn had connections with the Russians," Hawke said grimly. "But, we've beaten their stuff before, and we'll do it again."_

"_Now you're talkin', String!" Dom crowed._

"_Okay, then," Hawke said. "Weapons to combat mode."_

"_Combat mode," Dom echoed, punching the buttons to deploy Airwolf's chain guns and ADF pod._

"_Here we go!" Hawke said as he turned Airwolf in the direction of the advancing MiGs. _

Calmly, Hawke reached up and flipped the switch that lowered the targeting visor on his helmet even as Dom called out, "MiG comin' fast, twelve o'clock high!"

"I've got him, Dom," Hawke replied, squeezing the firing trigger and launching a Hellfire missile. A second later, the missile impacted the MiG square in the nose, causing it to explode in a satisfying fireball.

"String!" Dom shouted. "We got a rocket comin' in, five o'clock!"

"Sunburst!" Hawke ordered, and Dom punched out one of the powerful decoys. The decoy quickly did its job, luring the missile harmlessly away from Airwolf. It exploded a few seconds later, and Dom quickly called out, "Another rocket! Three o'clock!"

Hawke turned Airwolf so her decoy ejectors were in the flight path of the missile, then Dom released another Sunburst. The missile flew straight into the decoy and exploded. Hawke, meanwhile, had turned Airwolf back towards the MiGs, taking one out with a spray of gunfire from his chain guns, then bringing another down with a Hellfire shot.

"String, another rocket comin'! Six o'clock low!" Dom called out, even as he punched out a Sunburst.

"It didn't take that Sunburst!" String shouted a second later.

"It's a _sniffer!_" Dom shouted, punching up a Hellfire. "Hellfire ready."

"Thanks, Dom," Hawke said, turning Airwolf into the flight path of the missile and bringing it down easily.

"What's next, Dom?" Hawke asked, even as he felt 30 mm cannon fire pelting Airwolf.

"You had to go and open your big beak, didn't you?" Dom demanded. He looked down at the scope and said, "String, we got another rocket comin' from the ground, five o'clock high!" String pulled Airwolf into a steep climb, hitting the turbo button as he went, and Dom said, "Nice goin', String! The missile went after one of the MiGs and took him out! But, we're not done yet! Another rocket comin'!"

"Sunburst!" Hawke ordered.

"Sunburst," Dom replied. Hawke, meanwhile, drew a bead on another of the MiGs, taking him out with a Hellfire shot. "Where's that last MiG, Dom?" Hawke called out.

"Three o'clock low," Dom said, even as Hawke said, "Got him, Dom!" A moment later, the MiG was crashing to Earth, courtesy of another Hellfire shot.

"Scope's clean, String!" Dom crowed. "We did it!"

"Yeah," Hawke said, relieved. "Now, let's go find Cait and get the hell outta here."

"Good idea," Dom replied, as Hawke set Airwolf down in the courtyard.

"Well, well, Mrs. Hawke," Langhorn said as he grabbed Caitlin's arm and roughly jerked her to her feet, "it looks like your Mr. Hawke has survived my little gauntlet after all, and he's coming this way. Apparently I underestimated the capability of that machine that he flies."

"I told you he would, Langhorn. String's an ace combat pilot from Vietnam. I knew those 'top-of-the-line' Russian pilots of yours couldn't stop him." Caitlin said defiantly, which earned her another slap across the face.

"I really hate to mar your beautiful face with those bruises, Mrs. Hawke, but your attitude leaves me no other choice. But when we get to where we're going, I'll be able to concentrate on breaking you, just like that filly I told you about." The gleam in Langhorn's eyes made Caitlin sick to her stomach again, but she glanced down at Saoirse Marie, asleep in her carrier, and her nerves calmed themselves immediately.

"Just where do you think you're takin' my baby and me, Langhorn?" Caitlin demanded.

"To a small island off the coast of Florida," Langhorn replied. "My father owned it before Hawke murdered him, and of course, I inherited it when he died. The three of us can live there together, and your Mr. Hawke will never find us, because he'll be _dead_. Then, once you're a widow, Mrs. Hawke—you _will _be mine. I promise you. You _will __be mine__!_"

"That's what you think, Langhorn!" Caitlin shouted as he dragged her forcibly out of her room. As he led her through the hallways of the compound, Caitlin yelled, _"STRING! HELP ME!"_

"_STRING! HELP ME!" _Hawke heard Caitlin's voice a moment later. "This way, Dom!" he shouted, taking off in the direction Caitlin's voice had come from, Dom following a step behind.

"_Langhorn!_" Hawke shouted, seeing Langhorn dragging Caitlin towards a helicopter. Hawke noticed Saoirse Marie's carrier slung on Caitlin's left arm, which worried Hawke even more, when Langhorn spun around and grabbed Caitlin around the neck, pointing a gun at her temple.

"Langhorn, you sonofabitch, let my wife go! _NOW!" _Hawke roared, as he and Dom pointed their 9mm pistols at Langhorn's head.

"Ah, Mr. Hawke, we meet at last," Langhorn said. "Only this time, it looks like I hold the cards, in the form of your wife and child. If you don't want to see your lovely wife's brains splattered all over this room, before I shoot you and the old man, that is, then you'll drop your weapons and let me take her and your baby out of here." He stared into Hawke's eyes, and was relieved to see Hawke lowering his pistol ever so slightly. "Say your good-byes, Mrs. Hawke," Langhorn whispered in her ear, "because you'll never see your husband again. Once you're on board the chopper, I'll kill him and the old man." He loosened his hold on Caitlin's throat so that she could breathe enough to say her final words to Hawke.

"String," Caitlin choked out, her emotions overcoming her, "don't. Don't do somethin' stupid and get us both killed. Let Langhorn take us wherever he wants to. Then, we can give him the slip. And always remember that I love you, String." She winked subtly at String, hoping he would understand what she was thinking. _C'mon, baby,_ Caitlin said to herself anxiously, _figure it out!_ She had a plan to get far enough away from Langhorn to allow String to take him out, but it required String understanding what she was thinking.

"I—I love you too, Cait," Hawke said, and she noticed the tears in his eyes, "and if—if that's what you think is best, then all right." Dom stared, aghast, at String as he lowered his weapon and placed it on the ground. "Do it, Dom," Hawke said, staring at his friend and mentor.

"But, String," Dom began, just as Hawke shouted, "_DO IT! Drop your gun, Dom!"_

"Okay, String," Dom replied, not convinced, but he lay his weapon on the ground at his feet.

"All right, Langhorn," Hawke said angrily as he watched Langhorn begin dragging Caitlin towards the chopper again, "looks like you win."

"That's right, Mr. Hawke," Langhorn said just before he slightly loosened his grip on Caitlin to climb into the chopper. "I _always _win!" _Just what I hoped,_ Caitlin said to herself as she felt Langhorn's hold on her loosen. _It's now or never,_ she said to herself as she slipped herself out of Langhorn's grasp.

Just as he began pulling Caitlin up into the chopper with him, Langhorn felt her slip from his grasp. _"NOW, String!" _Caitlin shouted as she ducked under Langhorn's outstretched arm.

"Goddammit!" Langhorn shouted as he realized what was happening. He jumped off the chopper and tried to grab Caitlin again, but she quickly gathered her feet under her and ran as far away from Langhorn as she possibly could.

Hawke didn't waste a motion, reaching down and picking up his pistol just as Langhorn lunged at Caitlin. His first shot split Langhorn's head open like a ripe melon, but Hawke kept firing, emptying an entire clip into Langhorn's body until he felt Dom's hand on his shoulder.

"String," Dom said over the click of the trigger, "it's—it's done." Hawke stopped and looked at the corpse of Langhorn, remembering how Dom had said the same thing that day in Libya, then ran over to where Caitlin sat on the ground, holding the carrier with their child inside.

"Are you—?" Hawke asked when he saw the bruises on Caitlin's face from where Langhorn had slapped her.

"I—I'm fine, String," Caitlin replied, forcing a smile at her husband. "We're both just fine." Just then, Saoirse Marie opened her eyes and began crying. "Well, almost fine," Caitlin said as she took their baby out of the carrier and held her tight against her body. "How did you know what I was thinkin', String?" Caitlin asked a moment later, after Saoirse had calmed down.

"When you said, _'we can give him the slip,' _I had a feeling I knew what you were tryin' to do," Hawke said, "and, I'm glad I was right."

"Well, I figured Langhorn would have to loosen his hold on me for a second to climb in the chopper," Caitlin said, smiling at her husband, "and when he did, I knew I had one chance to escape. And I was hopin' he wouldn't be able to kill you and Dom, too. But," she said, glancing at what was left of her captor, "it's over now, and he's in hell along with his father. Let's go home, all right?"

"You got it, Cait," Hawke replied, and the four of them made their way back to Airwolf. A few moments later, they were back in the sky, headed for the Lair.

"Michael's calling," Dom said when he heard the descrambler.

"Yes, Michael," Hawke said a moment later.

"Hawke, is Caitlin—?"

"I'm fine, Michael," Caitlin replied from the countermeasure specialist's chair. "A little worse for wear, with a couple of bruises under my eyes, but I'm fine."

"Langhorn?" Michael asked.

"Dead," Hawke replied with an air of satisfaction. "We're heading home."

"I'm glad everything worked out, Hawke," Michael said. "Angel One, out."

"Airwolf, clear," Hawke replied as he turned Airwolf in the direction of the Lair. Once they'd landed and secured the helicopter, Hawke, Cait, and Dom took the Jeep back to the hangar, then took a chopper back to the cabin to relax.

_One small chapter left...with smooth sailing now that Langhorn's gone!_


	8. Chapter 8

_Vengeance, Chap. 8_

_Disclaimer—_Still don't own anything.

**A/N—**This chapter will close out this little story arc. I want to once again thank **OldSFFan, Mychand, av981638, Mogo Girl, geauxtigersgirl, and Riabhach **for all their reviews and comments. Events of this chapter will occur about a week after the events of Chap. 7. Enjoy this final chapter—robertwnielsen

**Hawke's cabin**

"How're you doin', Sinj?" String asked, slapping his older brother gently on his left shoulder.

"I was doin' a lot better before ya slapped my shoulder, String," Saint John said with a wince. "I may not be wearing the sling anymore, but it still hurts like hell."

"Sorry, Sinj," Hawke said, grinning.

"That's okay, little brother," Saint John replied as they sat in the living room of the cabin, along with Le, Michael, and Marella. Caitlin and Dom were in the kitchen, working on dinner.

"So, Langhorn's gone?" Saint John asked.

"Yes, Saint John," Michael replied. He and Marella had also come up to the cabin, to celebrate the fact that Langhorn was dead and his organization dismantled. "String took care of Langhorn, and our people wiped out the rest of his organization. He won't be bothering any of you anymore."

"I can't say I'll miss him," String replied, smiling as he moved behind the bar and fixed a glass of wine for Michael and Marella. "He gave us all hell, even worse than his brother did."

"Hawke," Marella said, "how's Cait doing?"

"She's fine, Marella," Hawke said, glancing back towards the kitchen. "It was a little rough the first couple of days, though. Cait would wake up panicked, looking for the baby, but once she found Saoirse, and with a little TLC from me, she was fine." The grin Hawke sported told Marella exactly what Hawke meant by "TLC."

"I'm glad to hear that, Hawke," Marella said, smiling knowingly at him. Just then, Caitlin came out from the kitchen and walked over to Hawke, wrapping one arm around his waist as he did the same to her.

"Dinner's about ready," Caitlin said as Hawke gently kissed her cheek. The bruises Langhorn had left under her eyes had quickly healed, which allowed Caitlin to feel more like herself. _That, and bein' back here with my husband,_ she said to herself happily.

"Cait," Marella said, smiling at her friend, "I'm glad you're okay. I can't imagine what it must have been like for you."

"It was hairy for a while, Marella," Caitlin said honestly, "but I've dealt with snakes like Langhorn before, both working with Hawke, and when I was a cop in Texas. And," she said, smiling up at her husband, "I knew String and Dom would have my back, like they always have." She moved a little closer to her husband, and Hawke smiled and kissed her again in response.

"But you didn't have a husband, or a baby, before now, Cait," Marella said. "That had to be frightening, knowing Langhorn could have hurt your baby."

"That's why I didn't give Langhorn the whuppin' he deserved," Caitlin replied, smiling at Hawke. "Even though he said he wouldn't hurt Saoirse as long as I cooperated with him, I didn't trust him any further than I could _throw him, _especially after I saw what happened to the guy who shot Saint John_. _I just had to trust that Hawke would find us before Langhorn could take us to that island he told me about. I don't want to think what he might have done there," Caitlin said, and Hawke pulled her even closer to him. He had a pretty good idea what Langhorn might have done if he'd taken Caitlin to that small island. _He would have raped her, and even if we did find the island, Cait probably wouldn't have been alive when we got there._

"Hey, String," Cait said, noticing the expression in his eyes, "relax. You got me away from Langhorn, and I'm back here with you, where I belong."

"I know, Cait," Hawke said, smiling at her, "I was just thinking about what could have—"

Caitlin interrupted him. "String, yeah, it would have been bad if he'd gotten away with takin' me to that island. But we were able to stop him, together." She pulled him closer for a deep and loving kiss.

"_Awww,"_ Saint John, Le, and Marella said together. Caitlin quickly broke the kiss, her cheeks turning a slight pink.

"Sorry about that," Caitlin said sheepishly.

"No, you're not, Cait. And for Pete's sake, that's okay," Saint John said, smiling at her and String. "I can't speak for Marella, but Le and I think it's damned good to see you and String so happy."

"I'll second that," Michael spoke up. "Even Zeus comments on how much easier Stringfellow has been to deal with these past few years. Marriage has definitely been good for you, Hawke," he said, nodding at Caitlin, who smiled and nodded back.

"Thank you, Michael," Hawke replied. "You too, Sinj. And, I _am_ happier these days. Saint John's back home, and I'm a husband, and father, so why shouldn't I be happy, for goodness' sake?"

"Even _I _can't argue with logic like that, Stringfellow," Michael said, laughing. "I would like to propose a toast," he said as Saint John and Marella stood up, Marella walking over to stand next to Michael. "To Stringfellow and Caitlin. May their lives be filled with the same happiness they have here this evening."

"_Here, here!" _came a chorus from around the room as everyone clinked glasses, and drank. A moment later, Hawke said, "And to you, Michael and Marella. May your lives be as happy as ours have become."

"_Here, here!"_ came the chorus again. A moment later, Dom came out of the kitchen. "Dinner's ready!" he called out, setting the spaghetti on the table. Everyone moved to the dining room table to enjoy the spaghetti and garlic bread that Dom had made.

Dinner was a lively occasion, with conversation centering around how Caitlin had gotten away from Langhorn before he was able to pull her onto the helicopter. "I was just lucky," Caitlin said. "I had a feelin' he'd have to loosen his hold on me when he climbed into the chopper, and he did, just long enough for me to slip out of his grasp and get away from him. Then," she glanced at String and smiled as she said, "String took care of the rest."

"I'm just glad it all worked out," Saint John said as Dom cleared the table after everyone had finished eating. String brought out another bottle of wine and refilled everyone's glasses, then brought out a soda for Le.

"Aw, man," Le said, but he smiled when he said it.

"Give it a couple more years, Sports-fan," Saint John said, smiling at him. "you'll be sipping champagne before you know it."

"Yeah, at my wedding, right, Dad?" Le shot back, glancing up at his father as Saint John, String, and Caitlin all laughed.

"Something like that," Saint John said, smiling at his son.

"We'll be the same way with Saoirse Marie," Caitlin said, smiling at Le.

"Well, okay," Le said, shaking his head.

Later, as everyone got ready to leave, Saint John grabbed String in a huge one-armed hug. "I'm sure glad everything's okay, little brother."

"Me, too," String replied as he carefully embraced his older brother. "I was really scared this time. I thought I might lose Cait and Dom forever."

"Hey, String," Caitlin said as she slipped her arm around his waist, "If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. You're _not _gonna lose me, unless you're stupid enough to let me go!"

"Well," Saint John said as he grinned at his younger brother. "Oh, I'm just kidding, little brother. I know that even _you're _smart enough that you won't let this lady go!" Saint John was worried about how he'd phrased the last part of his statement, but relaxed when he saw String smile at him.

"You've got that right, Sinj," String said as he hugged his older brother again.

"Good night, Stringfellow," Marella said.

"Good night, Marella. Good night, Michael," Hawke said, smiling at both of them.

Cait and String stood arm-in-arm in the door of the cabin, watching Dom's and Michael's choppers as they left. Suddenly, Caitlin slipped out of Hawke's arms, turned and headed back inside, and upstairs to the sleeping loft, not stopping until she reached the bathroom. Hawke followed as quickly as he could, but by the time Hawke reached the bathroom door, Caitlin had already locked it behind her.

"Cait?" Hawke asked as he banged on the door. "You okay?" Hawke was worried that Caitlin might be sick to her stomach, or something of that nature. Then, he noticed the jeans Caitlin had been wearing laying on the floor in front of the bathroom door. _Why the heck is she changing in the bathroom?_ Hawke thought, confused.

"Never better, String," Caitlin replied. "I'll be just a minute."

"Okay," Hawke said as he began getting ready for bed. Just then, the bathroom door opened and Caitlin stepped out of the bathroom, wearing the skimpiest—not to mention the _sexiest_—camisole and panty set String had ever seen in his life. _Well. Things make a little more sense now, _Hawke thought. _At least, I think they do._

"_Wow," _Hawke said as Caitlin twirled in front of him like a Victoria's Secret model. "Where on Earth did you—?"

"Last week, String," Caitlin said as she wrapped her arms around String's neck. "Remember when I took that long lunch?"

"Yeah," Hawke said as he slipped his arms around Caitlin's waist and pulled her body closer to his. "But, I didn't think you'd gone shopping for _that._" He eyed Caitlin's body hungrily, and Caitlin noticed Hawke's expression. _When Langhorn looked at me like that, it made me want to throw up—or, beat the crap out of him. __But since it's __String__, I don't mind one bit that he's eying me like that. In fact, it __just __makes me want him that much more_, Caitlin thought to herself as she felt her emotions rush through her body, the way they did almost every time String looked at her that way.

"Yeah, String," Caitlin said, her eyes turning dark with desire, especially after she felt String's reaction to her outfit. _Just what I'd hoped,_ she said to herself when she felt String's erection press against her, and felt the region between her legs grow hot and wet in response. "I did. I went and got this special, and I've been savin' it for a night just like this. And that's why I changed in the bathroom—I wanted to surprise you with this," she said, smiling suggestively at String.

"'Cause I saw those looks you had on your face before dinner, and if you think _for one minute _that I'm gonna let you get into another rut, like you did after the deal with Chad, then _you,_ my darling husband, have got _another think coming._ Yes, what Langhorn did was frightening, and what he _could have done_ with me was even worse. But, he _didn't. _You saved me, just like you've saved me every time I've ever been in trouble. And," Caitlin added as she moved closer in String's arms, feeling his arousal pressed directly against her wet heat, "I'm back here, safe, with my husband, where I belong."

"H mm," Hawke said as he picked her up in his arms and laid her gently down on the bed, undressing and joining her a moment later. "Well, I am definitely, and _very pleasantly, _surprised," he said.

"So. To prevent me from falling into another rut, did you have something specific in mind?"

Instead of speaking, Caitlin pulled String closer to her body and kissed him with everything she had. String responded in kind, then he pulled back just enough to strip Caitlin of her camisole and panties. Finally, once Caitlin removed all of String's unnecessary clothing, their bodies joined, and they were soon lost to the world, concentrating only on each other.

_**THE END.**_


End file.
